This question relates to the “P” of calvinism. Calvinism is a system of doctrine named after the teachings of John Calvin. The “P” in Calvinism is a part of the acronym: TULIP, which is popularly used to remember these five tenets of calvinism. The “P” stands for Perseverance of the Saints.
In brief, the perseverance of the saints is the idea that after a person is saved he cannot be lost. Several denominations adhere to Calvinism and the “P” of Calvinism in particular. Our question is: Does the Bible teach this doctrine?
First, understand that it is right for us to ask such a question. Christians are to, “Test the spirits to see whether they are of God” (1 Jn. 4:1), as the noble Bereans did (Acts 17:11), and “hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
In John 10:27-29 Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
This passage (as well as others) are often used to support the notion that Christians cannot cease to be saved. Important to note here is the tense of two verbs Jesus uses. In verse 27 He says, “My sheep hear my voice.” This denotes a continued or sustained hearing. The same is true with the word follow. It is not, “follow Jesus for a moment,” but follow Jesus from now on. Jesus wants sustained commitment and faithfulness.
Also noteworthy here is that the Lord is emphasizing that no power is great enough to snatch away His sheep from the Father. Jesus is teaching that His followers cannot be forcibly removed from fellowship with God. Paul likewise says that there is no power of any sort that can separate us from the love of God (see also Rom. 8:31-39). He doesn’t say that we can’t walk away from Him.
Other passages could be noted but let’s take a moment to see what the Scripture directly reveals about this subject matter.
- In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is instructing the church to withdraw fellowship from a brother who is living immorally. Notice why… Verses 4-5 says: “When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” Paul says that objective of withdrawing fellowship from this brother is that he might be saved! We can safely conclude that this brother was lost otherwise there would be no reason for him to be saved.
- Peter says in 2 Peter 2:20-21 – “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.”
Two things are obvious here: First, the people spoken of were saved. Second, what they became was worse than what they originally were. What were they? They were lost in their sin before they obeyed the Gospel (see 2 Thess. 1:8-9). Peter actually teaches it will be worse for such people than for those who never knew Christ.
- Notice just a few verses from the book of the Bible that speaks more than any other about the possibility of apostasy. Hebrews 2:3 says, “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation…” Hebrews 3:12 – “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 4:1 – “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.”
How many times does the Lord need to indicate that Christians can indeed fall away from the Lord? One, right? Just one statement would do. Let’s end with this one penned by the apostle Paul. He writes to the Christians in Galatia, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Gal. 5:4).
Can one fall away from the Lord and His amazing grace? Paul says he can. This is why the Hebrew writer admonished Christians then and now to, “Hold fast” (see 3:6; 4:14; 10:23). My brothers, faithfulness to the Lord is so important that our Lord urged the Christians at Smyrna to be faithful even if it would cost them their lives (see Rev. 2:10). If we will remain faithful, we also will receive the crown of life!
Daren Schroeder
